


The thief with the pickpocket’s hands

by thedarkspacesinmymind



Series: SBI + Tubbo Steampunk au [1]
Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Steampunk, Enemies to Friends, Gen, Piglin Hybrid Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Referenced Slavery, Techno just wants his lunch, Technoblade-centric (Video Blogging RPF), Wilbur Soot is a dirty crime boi, stay safe yall, the rest of sbi will get here eventually
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-16 08:01:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29204010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thedarkspacesinmymind/pseuds/thedarkspacesinmymind
Summary: Techno should have known his luck wouldn’t last.But it didn’t, and now he was here, running from the Keepers with the same guy who’d been trying to rob him ten minutes ago.The Sky Gods hadquitethe sense of humor.But now he’s getting ahead of himself.Let's start at the beginning.aka the author realizes if they want an SBI steampunk au they're gonna have to write it themself
Relationships: Wilbur Soot & Technoblade
Series: SBI + Tubbo Steampunk au [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2144172
Comments: 10
Kudos: 91





	The thief with the pickpocket’s hands

Techno should have known his luck wouldn’t last.

Really, it was naive to think he’d had any at all. Hopefuls didn’t last long in the pit and you’d think a lifetime spent choking on sulfur and slaving over the engines would have killed any lasting optimism.

But it didn’t, and now he was here, running from the Keepers with the same guy who’d been trying to rob him ten minutes ago.

The Sky Gods had _quite_ the sense of humor. 

Techno pulled his cap lower over his eyes, conscious of the pink locks bundled tightly beneath it. He kept his head down and his collar up, desperately avoiding the prying gazes of strangers as he moved through the crowded walkways of the lower market.

Stealth wasn’t easy when you looked like him. Long pink hair and pig ears tended to attract a few stares. Still, it was easier to stay out of sight then murder the witnesses.

Passing a large sign tacked with posters, he glared at his own indifferent expression judging him from the yellowed photograph. He wasn’t an expert on reading or anything, but he was pretty sure that was a wanted poster.

He looked away.

It didn’t surprise him to find a bounty on his head so soon after his escape. With the mess he’d left behind, he’d expected the Keepers he hadn’t left in a bloody heap on the floor would want to get him back as soon as possible. After all, they had a reputation. If one serf slipped from their grasp, why couldn’t more?

The smell of food wafted up from the vendor’s stalls lining the platform. He fingered the credits in his pocket, eying up the stand of a merchant selling bread, painfully aware of the low rumble in his stomach.

Swallowing his anxiety at the prospect of social interaction, he made his way over.

“One loaf,” he mumbled, sliding the credits across the table.

The merchant inspected each credit under green spectacle-glasses, handing a loaf of bread to Techno, who took it almost reverently. Then he squinted under Techno’s cap behind those bug eyed goggles. “Look familiar,” he said, suspicious. “We met before?”

Techno turned his face before he could get a good look, the memory of the wanted poster weighing heavy in his mind. “Just got one of those faces,” said quickly.

The merchant grunted, apparently satisfied.

Techno retreated back into the crowd, his attention already diverted to the loaf in his hands.

It wasn’t the most appetizing of lunches. Nothing down here was. The bread was probably a week old, scrapped by some high market bakery when it wasn’t good enough to sell to the wealthy first-tier class.

To Techno however, week old bread was a feast.

Resisting the urge to devour it all then and there, he ripped a small chunk off and plopped it in his mouth, internally sighing at the taste. The rest, he tucked into his pocket for later.

Glancing around the walkway, he tried to make out any signs pointing the direction of the upper platforms. If he could get passage on a ship, he’d be able to escape to another sky-island and finally stop looking over his shoulder for Keepers.

Not seeing any signs but figuring up was his best bet, he began making his way towards the ramps when someone slammed into him with enough force to almost knock him off balance.

“Oh my god I’m so sorry.” The man who’d crashed into him quickly apologized. 

“Heh?” he replied intelligently.

“Really I must pay more attention to my surroundings. Too many thoughts, I forget to look where I’m going. Oh! Here, let me help you.” He adjusted Techno’s coat, dusting off his shoulders.

Techno flinched away at the touch, glaring up at the man. Annoyingly, his head barely reached his shoulder. Tall bastard.

The man shot a quick glance over his shoulder, then said, “Again, so sorry. Really must be off though.” He flashed Techno an apologetic grin. “Pleasure making your acquaintance,” He said. Then he was gone, swept up by the crowd.

“Likewise,” he muttered sarcastically.

Pushing the strange encounter out of his mind, he continued towards the ramps, absentmindedly reaching into his pocket for another bite of bread. 

Then his other pocket.

He stopped, patting down his coat. Empty. He’d been robbed.

He eyed the passing strangers suspiciously. It could have been any of them. In a market this densely packed, it would have been too easy for one of them to slip a hand into his pocket and steal his lunch.

Except Techno had been thinking about his food since he bought it. Surely, if anyone had tried to take it, he would have noticed. Unless he’d been distracted he would have-

_Tall Guy_

Techno spun on his heel, storming in the direction the man had gone. The crowd parted for him as he walked, eying him with apprehension. He probably looked pretty intimidating, heeled boots stomping against the metal walkway, burgundy coat flying behind him like a cape, fire in his arctic blue eyes, swirling with red like blood on water.

His gaze zeroed in on the thief's mop of curly brown hair. It wasn’t hard to spot, given how the guy towered over everyone in the market. He had his back to Techno and seemed to be having a heated conversation with a merchant at one of the stalls if his impatient gestures were any indication.

Approaching from behind he grabbed the man by the collar and pulled him away from the stall, slamming his back into the railing. He yelped, holding his beanie in place to keep it from falling over the side of the platform.

Keeping his hand fisted in the front of his shirt, he unholstered his pistol, pressing the barrel in between the man’s eyes.

“I believe you took something of mine,” He said menacingly. 

“Did I?” The man chuckled nervously, eyes crossing as he eyed the gun pressed to his head. “You’ll have to be a bit more specific. I’ve stolen from a _lot_ of people.”

He pressed the barrel in harder, finger ghosting over the trigger. “My lunch,” he demanded. “I want it back.”

“Ohhh, your lunch,” he said as if just remembering. “Here, let me-” He placed both hands on either side of his body on the railing, as if moving to reach into his pocket. Then he kicked out with both legs, landing a solid blow in Techno’s stomach. He stumbled back, his gun skidding out of his reach.  
The man cackled, shooting him a two fingered salute, before taking off down the platform, his trench coat flying behind him.

Techno grunted, not bothering to grab his pistol before taking off after the thief, boots clanging against the catwalk.

He pushed through the crowd, leaping over merchant’s stalls until he had almost closed in on his prey. Damn his long legs this man was _fast_.

He had almost caught him. He was barely an arms reach away when-

The thief let out a squawk as he was pulled back by the hem of his coat.

Techno tackled him to the ground, and the pair grappled on the metal floor, passerby giving them a wide berth as they each tried to gain the upper hand.

Techno finally got him straddled and the brunet clawed desperately at his face, dislodging his cap and letting his pink locks spill freely down his back. 

Techno barely noticed. He had his fist poised to break the man’s nose when-

“THERE!” 

Both men looked up. A group of at least a dozen Keepers charged down the platform, looking like a murder of crows in their long beaked masks. 

Under his knuckles, Techno could feel the thief’s pulse increase at the sight of them.

Looking over, he saw their chase had brought them back to the poster board. He locked eyes with his own pale orbs, glaring at him from the photograph. Then his gaze slid to the poster next to his, where the thief’s shit eating grin watched the scene in amusement.

Fuck.

The footsteps sounded closer now, and Techno jumped into action. He hauled the thief to his feet, pushing him in the direction of the nearest ramp. “Head that way. The Keepers will follow me so whatever you do, _don’t_ go where I go.”

“Why are you helping me?”

Honestly, Techno wasn’t sure. Maybe if he made it out of this alive, he'd have time to think on it.

“Because you don’t want to end up in the pit.”

Then he turned, and sprinted for the ramps.

-

He made it within ten feet of the ramps before he was caught. He’d tried to leap over a stall when his foot caught on a crate of merchandise and he went down. Now he was on his back, frozen as he stared up at the Keeper standing over him in his crow mask, looking like the black death from old world stories. 

The Keeper hefted his blaster, preparing to take the shot when-

“HEY!”

A tall figure barreled into him, knocking the Keeper off the stand and over the railing, where he fell with a scream into the lower levels.

Techno stared at the hand that was offered to him in disbelief.

“Well?” The thief urged. “We don’t have all day.”

Shaking himself out of his stupor he let himself be pulled to his feet and dragged along by the other man as he hurried him up the ramps, shooting nervous glances over his shoulder to see if they were being followed.

“Didn’t I specifically tell you _not_ to follow me?” He asked.

The thief didn’t slow his pace, and they pushed through the crowded upper levels at a brisk walk.

“Yeah. But you also didn’t sell me out to the Keepers so I think I owe you one.” He shot Techno a grin. “Nice hair by the way.”

He pulled his hand away, running his fingers through the locks self consciously. “I need to get off this island.”

“Figured as much. My ship’s up this way.”

He led the way up to the landing deck, the sky island’s uppermost platform.

Techno blinked away the harsh sunlight. Clouds washed against the sides of the island, like a sea of white stretching across the sky. Ships of all sizes lined the port, from swift Cloud Cutters kept aloft by balloons to puttering hunks of scrap metal belching smoke.

To Techno’s dismay, the thief led him towards one of the latter, a creaking metal hull with a hemisphere windshield that looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in years.

“You’re kidding right? This thing is a death trap.”

The brunet gasped in offence. He patted the hull lovingly, as if to reassure it. “I’ll have you know Friend here is the best ship in the Hypixel system.”

“Friend?”

“Of course! I had to name her something. She’s gotten me out of a lot of scrapes you know.”

Techno wasn’t convinced. “Are you sure you can fly this thing?”

He moved to respond, but was cut off by a cry of “There they are!”

The Keepers had found them.

“I guess you’ll just have to find out,” he said, grabbing Techno by the wrist.

The pinkette jerked roughly at the contact, pulling his hand close to his chest. “Not the wrists,” he muttered.

His companion looked like he wanted to ask, but given the situation he decided not to. Quickly he ushered Techno aboard, throwing himself into the pilot’s seat pressing buttons and flicker levers with practiced hands.

Techno stood awkwardly off to the side, unsure how to help. He knew his way around an engine but he was no aviator. All he could do was watch nervously as the Keepers closed in on the craft.

The thief patted the seat next to him, not looking up from his task. “You might want to strap yourself in,” he advised.

As soon as Techno had done so, the ship jerked to life, the engine shuddering and belching smoke.

His companion whooped as they went airborne, leaving the island behind. The Keepers stood on the landing deck, watching them. Their masks hiding any expression. Techno shuddered, glad to have left those creeps behind.  
“Look who’s the death trap now,” the brunet shouted over the roar of the engine. 

Techno rolled his eyes. “You got lucky. This engine sounds like it was built during the Terra Age,” he replied loudly, earning an offended splutter out of his companion.

“You ungrateful bitch-” he broke off as Techno began to laugh. It wasn’t even that funny, but it’d been a long day and the sheer strangeness of the situation had finally caught up to him.

“So he has a sense of humor,” the thief grinned. “I’m Wilbur.”

“Techno.”

“Techno. Pleasure to make your acquaintance. I don’t suppose you had a destination in mind?”

The pinkette shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. Just drop me off at the next port. I can go my own way from there”

They reached the next island by dawn.

Safe to say, they didn’t part ways.

**Author's Note:**

> Next time: Techno and Wilbur meet someone new the way all the best friendships start: thievery.
> 
> Consider leaving a comment or kudos? I needs the happy chemical


End file.
